Super Bowl to Super Disgusting

The New York Giants exploit their fans with seat licenses

By Nicole Green, WhatIfSports.com

June 27th, 2008

Defending Super Bowl champions, the New York Giants, announced a plan to assign and issue Personal Seat Licenses in order to finance the building of their new stadium, which will still also be home to the New York Jets, according to the teamís web site.

Those who want to purchase season tickets will be required to pay a one-time license fee for each seat. The PSL grants exclusive rights to the purchased seat and is transferrable in the market.

A letter sent to previous season ticket holders from the team explains that PSLs range from $1,000 to $20,000.

The letter also states that every seat in the stadium will have a PSL. Thus, potentially, every seat could be occupied by a season ticket holder.

The sit-by-status seating will do a fine job of sorting the whites and blues. For the fans that have an extra $20,000, prime seating will never be a problem. Naturally, the lower the price of the PSL, the worse the seatís location.

The fans that do not have the luxury or desire to purchase season tickets are completely disregarded by the teamís decision to apply PSLs to every seat.

If every seat is purchased, the seat holders have ultimate control over the ticket prices. This is a great investment for season ticket holders but incredibly elitist.

Attending a Giants game will become more expensive and less accessible for non-season ticket holders, as they will have to pay the asking price of the holder, if the holder is willing to sell his or her tickets at all.

The Giants have decided which fans matter- those who can pay royalties.

The Giants are exploiting their fans with the introduction of the PSLs and further limiting their spectatorship by applying PSLs to every seat.

Sporting events should be community focused and inclusive, not another way to flash status and divide the classes.

Post Super Bowl victory, the Giants should be celebrating their fans, not pushing their debt on them.

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